Microbial paclitaxel: advances and perspectives

Paclitaxel is a potent and widely used antitumor agent. Considerable worldwide research efforts have been carried out on different production alternatives. Since the description of the first paclitaxel-producing fungi, more than 15 years ago, microorganisms have been investigated as potential alternatives for an environmentally acceptable, relatively simple and inexpensive method to produce paclitaxel. However, in spite of significant research on paclitaxel-producing microorganisms, no commercial fermentation process has been implemented up to now. The aim of this study is to review the present status of research on paclitaxel-producing microorganisms and the ongoing efforts to develop heterologous paclitaxel biosynthesis, and analyze the perspectives of microbial fermentation for paclitaxel production.